A good story depends on details, and there’s no lack of them in Angela Miller’s Hay Fever (Wiley, 2010; $24.95). This memoir chronicles Miller’s life-changing journey from corporate executive in Manhattan to cheesemaking at her farm, Consider Bardwell, in southern Vermont. Readers get a rich retelling of every step along the way in the author’s farmstead odyssey, as Miller describes the troubles and joys of turning her weekend hobby (keeping a few goats) into a world-class cheesemaking venture—all while maintaining her high-profile job in New York City. The relentless work of milking and breeding animals, making cheese, and then selling it is recounted vividly, along with candid assessments of the people and employees who cross her ambitious path. Populated with good guys, bad characters, and everyday heroes, Hay Fever is a tale as much about human nature as about cheese.
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